The Robot Job
by HeyMily
Summary: The Leverage team takes a job at Caltech.


**Fandoms:** Leverage/The Big Bang Theory  
**Warnings(if any):** Don't look too hard for a plot, logic or continuity, you'll strain yourself.

"There, McMurphy's. Irish Pub. McMurphy's, McRory's, close enough!  
Really, I don't see why we couldn't just operate from our hotel."  
The heat and the walk Nate had made her take through Pasadena in order to find an Irish bar had made Sophie cranky.

"The hotel hadn't err..." Nate started

"The hotel room had no minibar. You can say it." Sophie interrupted.

"Well, anyway. We're here now, let's just get started." Nate said, gesturing to the barman for a glass of whiskey.  
He put a hand to his ear and activated his com'  
"Guys? Are you on site?"

"Yes, we just pulled in the Caltech parking lot, in front of the physics department." Hardison replied.  
"Maybe Eliot should stay in the van, he looks kinda out of place in here what with the tan and the body mass index he's sporting..."

"It does look like nerd land" Parker interrupted.  
"Hey, this one is tanned!"

"He's not tanned, he's Indian Parker!  
I'm coming, I don't think anyone is gonna ask about my body mass index." Eliot said.

"Eliot is right guys, I'd rather he comes with you. It looks easy and straightforward on paper but I'd still like you to have back-up.  
So, Howard Wolowitz's office is in the department of applied physics, on the fifth floor, and the main lab he usually uses is on the sixth floor. Hardison, you go check on the lab. Parker, you take the office. Eliot, you stay near and keep an eye on the exits.  
And remember guys, we need both the mechanical arm and the plans."

"Why does the Italian woman need a mechanical arm?" Parker asked.  
"A whole robot I could understand, a whole robot could be cool. But just the arm?"

"I have no idea Parker. We will deal with that when the time comes. For now just get the arm." Nate replied.

"Ok, boss. Come on guys, let's go." Hardison said, getting out of the van.

After a little bit of recon, Eliot and Hardison, had settled on wearing glasses and sweaters that looked grandma-made. Parker had added the while lab coat she swiped from Wakefield Agriculture a while back.  
They entered the building fairly easily, thanks to their fake university IDs. Damn Hardison was good with fake Ids.  
Once on the fifth floor their scattered. Hardison stayed in the elevator, to get to the sixth floor, Parker started walking towards the end of the corridor, where the office was located and Eliot positioned himself in the corridor, next to the staircase so he could reach either one of them quickly if they needed help.

"Damn this lab is a mess. And it's huge. It's a huge mess. I thought scientists had to be organized." Hardison said.  
"I hope he made a big muscular mechanical arm, otherwise I may never find it!"

"Ok, I'm in the office. The door wasn't even locked, not fun."  
Parker started searching through the papers scattered on the desk.

"Well hello Lady. Let me introduce myself, my name is Wolowitz, Howard Wolowitz. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company here today?"  
Howard Wolowitz was a bit surprised to find a girl, a cute girl, in his office. That hadn't happened since...well never really.

"On my way" Eliot said

"No. Eliot, not yet. Parker, smile and make him show you his work."

Parker gave the engineer a nervous smile and extended her hand.  
Howard, not missing a beat, grabbed it and brought it to his lips.

"EwwI'm Alice, I'm new here. I heard about you fantastic, err...mechanical work and I wondered if you would tell me more about it." Parker said, resisting the urge to wipe her hand on her jeans.

"Well, most of my work is classified, you know, being for the NASA and all..."

"Oooh... Well I guess I should just go then..."

"But for you I could make an exception. You work here, you are family." Howard said, grabbing Parker's lab coat sleeve and giving her a desperate smile.

"Sure. Do you do robots? I love robots. Especially their arms."

"Well Lady you are in luck. I have just completed a masterpiece in the field. Well maybe not completed completed, I still have some errr _kinks_ to work out but there you go: The Wolowitz programmable hand, designed for extra-vehicular repair on the international space station." Wolowitz said, spreading blueprints on his desk.

"Bazinga!" They all heard the strange exclamation echo through the coms

"What was that?" Nate asked.

"Nothing." Eliot replied.

"Got it!" Hardison exclaimed through the com'  
"I'm meeting you on the fifth floor. Hurry up, I am carrying a robot arm, that's not exactly discreet."

"Ooooh" Parker tried her best to sound impressed but really, a robot arm, she still wasn't seeing the point in stealing that.  
"What is this?" She pointed randomly to the blueprint to get him talking again and murmured under her breath.  
"I can't swipe those blueprints without him noticing, they're huge"

"Eliot, can you give her a distraction?" Nate intervened.

"Sure."  
Eliot ran into the office. "Are you Howard Wolowitz? You need to go to the Dean's office right now. Governement officials are here, they want to talk to you about an award or something."

"Me? Are...Are you sure they're here for me? I mean, yes I have..."

"Quick! Hurry up! You can't keep them waiting!" Eliot insisted.

"Oh, an award? This fantastic! Shoo shoo!" Parker shoved him towards the door.  
"Take your time, I'll wait for you here!"

Howard took one last regretful look at Parker. In his experience if he left the room the girl was never there when he returned. But an award? He couldn't let that pass! He bolted through the door.  
"Coming through! Make way! Coming through!"

Parker folded the blueprints and hurried to the staircase, Eliot following close-by.

"Yuk. That guy was weird." Parker said, scrunching her nose and wiping her hand on Hardison's sleeve before rushing down the stairs.

"What...Girl!" Hardison shouted after her.

"Guys, get out and meet us at the hotel." Nate interrupted.

"Huh? Nope. We're meeting you guys at the bar. I need something strong to wash all that geek down. Order me a whiskey." Eliot said.

"Come on, it wasn't so bad. You didn't even have to punch anyone." Hardison observed, closing the van's doors.

"Err, Well..."

"What? Did you punch someone? Why? Who? I didn't hear anything."

"Some freak jumped from behind a door and yelled "Bazinga" in my face. It was a reflex." Eliot said. "He went down real quiet. I put him in the supply closet."


End file.
